"Us" eBook

[Illustration: “I DO FINK WHEN US IS QUITE
BIG AND CAN DO AS US LIKES, US MUST HAVE A BOAT LIKE
THIS, AND ALWAYS GO SAILING ALONG.”—­p.
195.]

“I do fink when us is quite big and can do as
us likes, us must have a boat like this, and always
go sailing along,” said Pamela, when, half-tired
with her play, she sat down beside the baby and its
mother.

“But it isn’t always summer, or beautiful
bright weather like this, missy,” said the young
woman. “It’s not such a pleasant life
in winter or even in wet weather. Last week even
it was sadly cold. I hardly durst let baby put
her nose out of the cabin.”

“Then us’d only sail in the boat in fine
weather,” said Pamela philosophically, to which
of course there was nothing to be said.

The next two days passed much in the same way.
The sunshine fortunately continued, and the children
saw no reason to change their opinion of the charms
of canal life, especially as now and then Peter landed
them on the banks for a good run in the fields.
And through all was the delightful feeling that they
were “going home.”

CHAPTER XI.

A SAD DILEMMA.

“Like children that
have lost their way
And know their names, but
nothing more.”Phoebe.

It was the last night on the canal. Early the
next morning they would be at Monkhaven. The
children were fast asleep; so were Peter and his wife
and baby. Only Tim was awake. He had asked
to stay on deck, as he was quite warm with a rug which
Mrs. Peter lent him, and the cabin was full enough.
It was a lovely night, and the boy lay looking at the
stars overhead thinking, with rather a heavy heart.
The nearer they got to the children’s home the
more anxious he became, not on their account but on
his own. It would be so dreadful to be turned
adrift again, and, in spite of all the little people’s
promises, he could not feel sure that the old gentleman
and lady would care to have anything to say to him.

“I’m such a rough one and I’ve been
with such a bad lot,” thought the poor boy to
himself while the tears came to his eyes. But
he looked up at the stars again, and somehow their
calm cheerful shining seemed to give him courage.
He had been on the point of deciding that as soon as
he was quite sure of the children’s safety he
would run away, without letting himself be seen at
all, though where he should run to or what would become
of him he had not the least idea! But the silvery
light overhead reminded him somehow of his beautiful
dream, for it illumined the boat and the water and
the trees as if they were painted by fairy fingers.